Democrats Secure Control of Congress as Mississippi and Alaska Senate Races Remain Undecided

Democrats have successfully regained control of both chambers of the United States Congress following this year's midterm elections, a series of victories that party leader Hakeem Jeffries described as an "American tsunami." However, as of Wednesday night, two crucial US Senate races in Mississippi and Alaska are still awaiting final tallies.

The outcomes in Mississippi and Alaska represent the final Senate contests to be determined. Currently, Democrats are poised to begin the 120th Congress on January 3 with a minimum of 54 seats in the 100-member Senate. Should they secure victories in both Mississippi and Alaska, their reliance on Republican defections to overcome the filibuster—a procedural tactic used by the minority party to indefinitely delay legislation—will be reduced. A 60-vote majority is typically required to bypass a filibuster.

The prolonged vote counts in Alaska and Mississippi are attributed to unique circumstances in each state. Mississippi, a traditional Republican stronghold, saw an unexpectedly close race between incumbent Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, and her Democratic challenger, Scott Colom. With 96 percent of ballots counted, the race remains too close to call, with both candidates hovering around 49 percent of the vote, according to The Associated Press (AP). As of Wednesday night, Colom held a narrow lead of 1,138 votes, with provisional and mail-in absentee ballots yet to be processed. Mississippi law allows 10 days for provisional ballots to be counted and five business days for mail-in ballots to be received after election day. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson indicated that approximately 3,600 mail-in ballots and an undetermined number of provisional ballots were still outstanding. Certified results are due by November 13. Notably, Mississippi lacks a formal provision for automatic recounts in the event of a tie, requiring a court order for such a process.

In Alaska, the Senate race's conclusion could extend for days or even weeks due to the state's extensive rural geography and its implementation of a ranked-choice voting (RCV) system. Democrat Mary Peltola is currently leading incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan by a slim margin of 637 votes, as reported by AP. The RCV system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, which can necessitate multiple rounds of vote tabulation. If no candidate secures over 50 percent of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters' second preferences. This iterative process continues until a candidate achieves a majority. Alaska is one of only two states utilizing RCV for statewide elections, a system that critics argue contributes to the delayed results. The Alaska Division of Elections expects ranked-choice results to be published on November 18, 15 days after the election.

Adding to the scrutiny of Alaska's Senate race is a controversy involving two candidates named Dan Sullivan. The incumbent senator, Dan S Sullivan, an ally of President Trump, faced a challenger named Dan J Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher who was widely speculated to be a Democratic candidate intended to siphon votes. The Department of Justice under Trump had filed a lawsuit to block the certification of Alaska's election results, alleging the second Sullivan's candidacy was an attempt to manipulate voter choice. However, a federal judge dismissed the suit, though the Justice Department has stated its intention to appeal, particularly if Peltola emerges victorious.